2First team — Aaron Harrison, Kentucky

6-6, 218-pound sophomore guard

Last year's stats: 13.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg

Why we chose him: Although John Calipari’s plan to use a two-platoon system could mean Harrison’s numbers being depressed, he’ll be the No. 1 perimeter option on a team favored to win the national championship.

Defining game last season: 19 points, 4-of-7 3-point shooting against Wichita State in an NCAA Tournament game that required every bit of his excellence for the Wildcats to survive.

Specific area for improvement: He was an indifferent defender as a freshman; Wichita State’s Ron Baker, for instance, got 20 on the Cats. Becoming a championship player will require more commitment at that end.

Roadblocks he could face: Can he develop into a big-game scorer if the ball is spread among 10 different UK players?

3First team — Branden Dawson, Michigan State

6-6, 225-pound senior guard/forward

Last year's stats: 11.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg

Why we chose him: Watching his across-the-board dominance in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament, it seemed impossible not to be moved to believe he could rank among this season’s best players. (And yet, curiously, the folks who voted for the preseason All-Big Ten team didn’t include him).

Specific area for improvement: Effort. Motor. Intensity. Consistency? They’re all different sides of the same coin. Does Dawson want badly enough to be great?

Roadblocks he could face: Even the best players will encounter games in which their talent is overwhelmed by a tough matchup or an opposing coach’s game plan. Will Dawson allow himself to be coached through those circumstances?

4First team — Jahlil Okafor, Duke

7-0, 265-pound freshman center

Last year's stats (Whitney Young HS): 24.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg

Why we chose him: Okafor has the uncommon gift of being able to slow down or speed up the game as he sees fit. How many other big men have come along with that talent? Oh, not a lot. He is not a dynamic, high-flying athlete, but he’s extremely powerful and graceful and has excellent footwork and ball skills. More than a big man, he is a basketball player.

Defining game last season: 6 points, 4 rebounds on 3-of-3 shooting against Serbia in the FIBA U-19 World Championships gold medal game. He played only 11 minutes because coach Billy Donovan wanted a quicker team to switch against all of Serbia’s pick-and-rolls. But he made that time count in a tough game by making all three of his shots.

Specific area for improvement: It’s all about dealing with the new demands of college basketball. Like all freshman big men, he’ll have to confront players who are his size – or sometimes bigger – on a nightly basis. He’ll also need to play 30-plus minutes with high-level intensity, which isn’t generally required at the high school level.

Roadblocks he could face: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has proven to be one of the most flexible and versatile coaches, but he hasn’t based his offense around a low-post big man since Elton Brand in 1999. Here’s how long ago that was: Okafor was three years old then.

6First team — Marcus Paige, North Carolina

6-1, 175-pound junior guard

Last year's stats: 17.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg

Why we chose him: The only issue with Paige is whether the possibility he will shuttle between playing on the ball and off the ball will diminish his production. It did not last year, not in the least.

Defining game last season: 35 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assist in 85-84 overtime win at N.C. State. The Pack beat Carolina every which way for 45 minutes – except they could not stop Paige.

Specific area for improvement: For a player who does not take a lot of creative chances, Paige needs to do a better job of limiting turnovers.

Roadblocks he could face: Paige is one of three point guards on the UNC roster, along with sophomore Nate Britt and gifted freshman Joel Berry. Getting the team’s five best players on the floor, and giving the Heels the best possible threat to stretch defenses, may demand Paige play more often at shooting guard. If so, his size – only 6-1, 175 pounds — could cause defensive issues.

5First team — Montrezl Harrell, Louisville

6-8, 240-pound junior forward

Last year's stats: 14.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg

Why we chose him: Harrell is the most physically imposing college player, with incredible length, strength and athleticism. He can shoot 15-foot jumpers and overwhelm opponents inside. He moves his feet well laterally on defense and excels at positioning himself for rebounds. It’s rather a shock he chose to delay draft entry another year.

Defining game last season: 21 points, 10 rebounds in a 58-57 victory at Cincinnati that allowed the Cardinals to share the American regular-season title with the Bearcats. Harrell muscled his way through a superb Cincinnati frontcourt for four points in the final 1:20 to help his team climb out of a 3-point deficit. He scored half the team’s 24 points over the final 12 minutes.

Specific area for improvement: Harrell never has been a star before. He was only a top-50 recruit out of high school, and he didn’t even start most of his freshman season because Chane Behanan was there first. Last year, he ceded the spotlight to guard Russ Smith.

Roadblocks he could face: Harrell has to demand the ball in a system not really set up for big men to do great damage. Rick Pitino has had lots of star guards, but he hasn’t relied upon a power player since Jamal Mashburn in the early 1990s. Will Harrell get the opportunities to shine?

7Second team — Delon Wright, Utah

Why we chose him: Last year, Wright was an across-the-board stat stuffer on a team that just wasn’t ready to win tight games. This year, he’ll be a stat stuffer on an NCAA Tournament team.

Defining game last season: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists in a 61-60 road loss to Stanford. Wright played better games, but the agony of that defeat indeed defined Utah’s season.

Specific area for improvement: If Wright were a legit jumpshooter, he’d probably already be in the NBA. He was only 12-of-54 from 3-point range as a junior. A guy with that on his resume probably will never be great. But he can be better.

Roadblocks he could face: Utah’s progression to an NCAA-level squad will not be automatic. The team lost seven times last season by a single possession or in overtime (or both). Part of his job is a point guard is finding a way to win those games.

Specific area for improvement: Baker had 20 games last season in which he attempted single-figure shots. That’s what the Shockers needed from him, to complement small forward Cleanthony Early. But with Early in the NBA, what they’ll most likely need now is for Baker to comfortably handle greater responsibility to score.

Roadblocks he could face: Wichita State is coming off an unbeaten regular season, and that followed a trip to the 2013 Final Four. The standard the Shockers have set for themselves is really high, and a few too many non-league losses could send them into the Missouri Valley Conference without much attention.

9Second team — Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona

6-7, 215-pound sophomore forward

Last year's stats: 9.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg

Why we chose him: Arizona’s best player during last year’s NCAA Tournament run was not All-American guard Nick Johnson. It was not lottery pick Aaron Gordon. Arizona’s best player was RHJ, who averaged 14 points, 4.8 rebounds and shot 67 percent from the floor. Opponents couldn’t stop him from driving the ball.

Defining game last season: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in an 84-61 NCAA Tournament blowout of West power Gonzaga.

Specific area for improvement: When we saw Hollis-Jefferson at the USA Basketball U-19 trials prior to his freshman season, his shot was so broken it seemed he might never make a jumper as a collegian. He was 2-of-10 from 3-point range last season, so maybe it wasn’t that bad. But it wasn’t good. Reports from Arizona, though, are that it’s better.

Roadblocks he could face: Arizona’s one issue as a team is that its two high-level, NBA-quality wings – RHJ and Stanley Johnson – have not shown themselves to be dangerous 3-point shooters. If Johnson doesn’t make enough shots to keep the defense honest, Hollis-Jefferson might not have the room to operate that he’ll need to excel.

10Second team — Sam Dekker, Wisconsin

6-7, 220-pound junior forward

Last year's stats: 12.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Why we chose him: Nearly all those who visited the LeBron James Skills Academy in July – scouts, recruiting analysts, college basketball commentators – raved that no one among the collegians at the camp performed at the level Dekker did. His growth to 6-9 and the Badgers’ success in 2014 appears to have unleashed his potential.

Specific area for improvement: Dekker shot 137 free throws last year. For a player who attempted 358 shots and played most of his time at power forward, that’s not enough. Dekker has to be more comfortable courting contact – especially if he is moved back to small forward with Nigel Hayes entering the lineup.

Roadblocks he could face: Although he has played the position before, Dekker likely will have to relearn a few things about playing small forward – being away from the basket more, being guarded by smaller players.

11Second team — Terran Petteway, Nebraska

Why we chose him: Petteway’s spectacular – no, ridiculous – run of performances down the stretch last season carried the Huskers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in nearly two decades.

Defining game last season: 26 points, 10 rebounds in a 77-68 must-have victory over Wisconsin at home on the final day of the regular season.

Specific area for improvement: Petteway shot 38.3 percent in true road games last season. The Huskers’ comfort in their new arena was an important force in their turnaround last season, but the best players have to prove themselves on the road, as well.

Roadblocks he could face: A five-game losing streak in late December/early January last season meant no one really considered the Huskers an NCAA contender until they won eight of their final 10 regular-season games. They’re a preseason top-25 team now. People will be gunning for Nebraska, and for Petteway.

Specific area for improvement: For a player who flirted often with the 20-point mark, Hield was too strictly a jumpshooter. He tried more than half his shots from long distance. He’d be better if he were versatile enough to drive the ball more frequently.

Roadblocks he could face: There are a lot of quality guards in college hoops. Michigan’s Caris LeVert is taller and more purely talented; Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon is a rugged defender and improving scorer; UConn’s Ryan Boatright is a national champ. Hield either needs to expand his game – or carry Oklahoma to a highly successful season to hold his place.

13Third team — Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

6-11, 234-pound senior forward

Last year's stats: 13.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg

Why we chose him: Kaminsky is as versatile an offensive center as college basketball has seen this decade. He hits from long range, he can put the ball on the floor and drive it for longer stretches than most 7-footers and he can score against single-coverage inside.

Defining game last season: 28 points, 11 rebounds against Arizona in the NCAA Tournament West Region final. Arizona had size, multiple elite defenders, a terrific defensive coach – and could find no means of stopping him out of UW’s pick-and-rolls.

Specific area for improvement: As an offensive rebounder, Kaminsky ranked only 12th in the Big Ten and didn’t come close to cracking the top 100 nationally. Here’s the thing about offensive boards: They lead to put-back baskets. Kaminsky averaged only 13.9 points for the season. More boards, more points.

Roadblocks he could face: Kaminsky will be the No. 1 target of every opposing defense because Wisconsin, despite its versatility on offense, is most dangerous when its big guy is doing the damage.

14Third team — Georges Niang, Iowa State

Why we chose him: A team that lost both Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane will have to turn to someone. There are few college players more dependable than Niang.

Defining game last season: 25 points, 7 assists in a 94-83 Big 12 Tournament semifinal victory over Kansas. It helped that KU center Joel Embiid was out, but Niang still dominated a high-level frontcourt that included Tarik Black, Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor.

Specific area for improvement: Niang was listed at 240 pounds last season, and it was easy to guess there were a few more lbs than accounted for on his frame. That bulk worked for him in a lot of ways, but Niang said the extra weight made him tire down the stretch. He has said he dedicated himself to improving his conditioning.

Roadblocks he could face: Ejim’s rugged versatility made him an ideal partner for Niang. Ejim could play away from the goal or scrap for offensive rebounds, same as Niang. Will Jameel McKay (or someone else) suit Niang as well?

15Third team — Juwan Staten, West Virgina

6-1, 190-pound senior guard

Last year's stats: 18.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg

Why we chose him: Staten grew up from an undisciplined young player into a serious team quarterback in his third season on the WVU campus. He scored in double-figures in all but two games and also delivered as a passer and rebounder.

Specific area for improvement: Staten was 6-of-15 on 3-pointers last season. That’s not a great percentage, but it’s too good for a player to try so few from long range. It’s important that defenses be forced to account for every possibility.

Roadblocks he could face: He’s never played in the NCAA Tournament, and it’d take a pretty astonishing effort to make All-America from a squad that doesn’t get that far. WVU lost a lot of Staten’s scoring support; he’ll probably carry more of the offensive load as the newcomers try to improve a dismal defense.

16Third team — Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

7-0, 250-pound freshman center

Last year's stats (St. Joseph's Metuchen HS): 20.9 ppg, 13.4 rpg

Why we chose him: Towns may be the single best NBA prospect in college basketball, with a widely varied offensive game that continues to develop as he matures and an NBA-style body that made him not at all out of place on the Dominican Republic national team – before his junior year of high school.

Defining game last season: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 7-of-8 shooting against Linden in the New Jersey Tournament of Champions semifinal. Towns’ St. Joseph's squad went on to win the title.

Specific area for improvement: We’d have said his low-post game a year ago, but Towns excelled inside during UK’s Bahamas trip. He’ll have to be mobile on defense, especially since he’ll often be deployed against power forwards.

Roadblocks he could face: Towns is UK’s most talented player, and if he were in a less crowded frontcourt we would have confidently placed him on our first team. But UK has six NBA prospects who are essentially power forwards or centers. That’ll help in making the Wildcats a great team, but it won’t be easy for anyone up front to be a star.